KUALA LUMPUR, 16th July – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have of late been trending in Malaysia, of which are an urgent call for action towards peace and prosperity for all. The 17 goals of SDGs are the challenges faced by countries worldwide including issues allied to poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, climate change, peace, and justice.
Highlighting the importance of this agenda, Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM-MJIIT) offered a unique platform for the academia and experts in SDG fields to share their insights and for the students to establish new academic circles.
The Asia-Oceanie Five Universities Alliances (AOFUA) Summer Camp 2023 became this special platform, gathering 21 students across different disciplines from the five member universities. The main theme of this program was Harvesting Synergy from Robust SDG Interactions Among Youth.
The SDGs that were stressed throughout this program were SDG2 –Zero Hunger, SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG13 – Climate Action.
Through themed workshops and experiential learning activities, these SDGs were exposed to the students, where it was expected to promote critical mindsets of these students thus allowing for improvement in their attitudes, behaviours, and habits in daily tasks.
AOFUA Summer Camp 2023 was officially launched by Prof. Ts. Dr. Ali Bin Selamat, the dean of UTM-MJIIT on the 6th July 2023 via a virtual meeting platform. The program was conducted virtually for two days from 6th to 7th July 2023, followed by the hybrid sessions from 12th to 16th July 2023.
Apart from seminars and workshops, several other activities were organized for the students and accompanying staff including excursions around Kuala Lumpur city and Putrajaya, traditional games with Buddies (volunteer students from MJIIT), and a farewell dinner.
The farewell dinner was officiated by Prof. Ts. Dr. Abd Latif Salef, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of UTM Kuala Lumpur campus on behalf of the UTM Vice-Chancellor. The dinner was also honoured by the presence of Prof. Dr. Chitoshi Miki, the president of Tokyo City University, Japan and Dr. Laurene Chua-Garcia, the Vice President for External Relations and Internalization of De La Salle University, Phillipines.
By: Dr. Farah Liana Binti Mohd Redzuan
Dr. Farah Liana Binti Mohd Redzuan is a senior lecturer at Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), UTM Kuala Lumpur.